With a billion smartphones expected to be sold by year’s end, it’s clear the market has reached a tipping point: 2013 will be the first year that smartphones account for a majority of mobile phone shipments worldwide, reports International Data Corp (IDC). Apple's iPhone 5s, an early success with consumers, helped drive strong third-quarter sales of smartphones this year. Will its more powerful processor and improved security also make it a hit with small businesses?

Faster Computing

The iPhone 5s features 64-bit processing, the fastest available on a smartphone, and the standard for laptop and desktop computers, reports PC Magazine. Apple claimed the phone’s new processor would double system and graphics performance over the older iPhone 5, and PC Magazine’s independent tests back up these claims. The phone especially excelled in Web performance tests, PC Magazine reports.

While the phone’s improved performance is a plus for business tasks, it’s not without drawbacks. “A faster processor may help with certain games and apps, but it will also consume more power,” points out CNET’s Rick Broida. And what the iPhone 5s doesn’t offer is a bigger and better battery, he adds.

Smarter Working

Small businesses get enhanced productivity on the iPhone 5s through Apple’s new AirDrop feature, which lets users share files, contacts, photos and videos with a single tap of the finger.

Business users can securely share proposals, documents and presentations in real time via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, improving both communication and collaboration. Apple also now lets iPhone 5s users download its iWork suite of office productivity apps for free from the App Store.

Tighter Security

The iPhone 5s provides greater security to small business users through one of its most popular features: Touch ID, which scans users' fingerprints to unlock the phone. The feature helps protect lost and stolen devices from unauthorized access--a big problem for any business.

Instead of pass codes or PINs that can be guessed or stolen, fingerprint data is stored on the device instead of in the cloud and can’t be accessed by hackers, Apple claims.

Simpler Management

With the iPhone 5s, it's also simpler for small businesses to offer bring-your-own device (BYOD) programs to employees. Apple's Volume Purchase Program enables businesses to buy and deploy approved apps in volume, and to both assign and revoke licenses for users while still retaining company ownership. A mobile management solution lets employees keep personal data separate from the corporate data that can be viewed by an employer.

With improved processing, productivity and security, the iPhone 5s has plenty of new features with small-business appeal. Time will tell whether these features stand up to small-businesses’ needs--and whether smartphones can truly be transformed into reliable business computing platforms.